Thurnham Glasson Christ Church, Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 March 2026

Pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education. Despite their thirst for learning, the curriculum does not meet pupils' needs. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not have the support they need to make suitable progress. Teachers' expectations for pupils are too low. Leaders have not addressed previous weaknesses, including in the curriculum. Improvements to the school's provision have been too slow. In addition, pupils' knowledge of some areas of the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is not as secure as it needs to be. Leaders and those responsible for governance rely too much on external support. Furthermore, improvements have not been sustained. As a result, pupils underachieve. They are not prepared well for the next stage in their education. Pupils enjoy coming to this small, welcoming school. Staff know pupils very well. Positive relationships between the close-knit school community are evident. Pupils are very welcoming. They treat each other and visitors with respect. Staff are kind and supportive of pupils. This helps pupils to feel safe. There are many occasions when pupils work alongside each other to support the school and village community. For example, they grow vegetables in their allotment, which they will eat over lunch. Pupils relish their leadership opportunities. For example, they enjoy being an eco-council member and looking for ways to ensure that they can support the local and wider world to be as eco-friendly as possible. Typically, pupils behave well in lessons. Staff teach clear routines and manage pupils' behaviour consistently. This creates a supportive environment for learning. Pupils cooperate well with each other. At playtime, they share equipment with each other and ensure that everyone has someone to play with. Pupils know who they would turn to if they had any concerns. This includes if they had any concerns about bullying.

What the school should improve

• Governors must gain a comprehensive, precise oversight of the school's strengths and areas for development to ensure that they can hold leaders to account for the swift improvement required to pupils' education.
• Leaders must ensure that they tackle the weaknesses in the school effectively so that their actions lead to sustained improvement.
• Leaders and governors must ensure that the curriculum offered is planned and delivered effectively. They must raise teachers' expectations for pupils' achievement and ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise needed to teach the curriculum well.
• Leaders and governors must ensure that there is a sharp focus on closing gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, so that pupils have the basic skills that they need to succeed in their future education.
• Leaders must ensure that they develop coherent systems to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils quickly and accurately. They must ensure that this leads to more effective support in the classroom through carefully selected adaptations for pupils.
• Leaders and governors must ensure that they improve achievement of all pupils, especially those with SEND, so that they have the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they need to be ready for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders should ensure that the personal development curriculum better develops pupils' understanding of healthy relationships and fundamental British values.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)